Wildlife Resources Division

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is comprised of six divisions which carryout DNR’s mission to sustain, enhance, protect and conserve Georgia’s natural, historic and cultural resources. As one of six divisions within DNR, the Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) is charged with conserving, enhancing and promoting Georgia’s wildlife resources, including game and nongame animals, fish and protected plants. WRD is comprised of three sections – Game Management, Fisheries Management, and Nongame Conservation.

Game Management

The Game Management Section (GM) manages one million acres of land in 90 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) for hunting, fishing, wildlife enhancement, bird watching, hiking, camping and conservation education. GM conducts research and surveys to monitor hunter harvest, wildlife populations and habitat. These efforts support setting regulations and other management activities. GM also provides technical assistance to landowners, private organizations and governmental agencies. Click here for more information on hunting and game management activities in Georgia.

Fisheries Management

The Fisheries Management Section (FM) manages 500,000 acres of lakes, 12,000 miles of warm water streams and 4,000 miles of trout streams to provide high quality sport fishing. FM surveys fish populations to determine sound management approaches and set regulations. FM also constructs and maintains public boat ramps and fish attractors, investigates pollution and fish kills, assesses environmental reviews, provides technical assistance to environmental agencies, operates fish hatcheries and Public Fishing Areas (PFAs) and sponsors a variety of kids fishing events. Click here for more information on fishing and fisheries management activities in Georgia.

Nongame Conservation

The Nongame Conservation Section (NCS) conserves and protects nongame wildlife and plants and their habitats through public education, research and management. NCS conducts research and surveys on a wide variety of nongame wildlife, identifies critical habitats and implements species and habitat restoration programs. NCS encourages the appreciation and enjoyment of observing wildlife, catalogues and distributes information on occurrences of rare plants, animals and natural communities, participates in cooperative habitat management with private and corporate landowners and leads WRD conservation education efforts. Click here for more information on nongame conservation activities in Georgia.